President of U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops Issues Statement at Close of Meeting on the Protection of
Minors in the Church
February 24, 2019
ROME—Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, Archbishop of
Galveston-Houston and President of the United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops (USCCB), has issued the following statement on the final day of a four
day meeting attended by Presidents of Bishops’ Conferences from across the
globe.
Cardinal DiNardo’s full statement follows:
"The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who
call upon Him in truth." Psalm 145:18
"These have been challenging, fruitful days. The
witness of survivors revealed for us, again, the deep wound in the Body of
Christ. Listening to their testimonies transforms your heart. I saw that in the
faces of my brother bishops. We owe survivors an unyielding vigilance that we
may never fail them again.
How then to bind the wounds? Intensify the Dallas Charter.
Pope Francis, whom I want to thank for this assembly, called us to ‘concrete
and effective measures.’ A range of presenters from cardinals to other bishops
to religious sisters to lay women spoke about a code of conduct for bishops,
the need to establish specific protocols for handling accusations against
bishops, user-friendly reporting mechanisms, and the essential role
transparency must play in the healing process.
Achieving these goals will require the active involvement
and collaboration of the laity. The Church needs their prayers, expertise, and
ideas. As we have learned from diocesan review boards, a comprehensive range of
skills is required to assess allegations and to ensure that local policies and
procedures are regularly reviewed so that our healing response continues to be
effective. All of the models discussed this week rely upon the good help of
God’s people.
I and the bishops of the United States felt affirmed in the
work that is underway. Enhanced by what I experienced here, we will prepare to
advance proposals, in communion with the Holy See, in each of these areas so
that my brother bishops can consider them at our June General Assembly. There
is an urgency in the voice of the survivors to which we must always respond. I
am also aware that our next steps can be a solid foundation from which to serve
also seminarians, religious women, and all those who might live under the
threat of sexual abuse or the abuse of power.
In our faith, we experience the agony of Good Friday. It can
cause a sense of isolation and abandonment, but the Resurrection is God’s
healing promise. In binding the wounds now before us, we will encounter the
Risen Lord. In Him alone is all hope and healing.
May I also add a sincere word of thanks to the many who
prayed for me and for all that this meeting be a success."
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